Retractable coverings for architectural openings can be operated in numerous ways known in the art, but common practice has been to utilize flexible control elements or pull cords which are suspended from one end of a headrail. A shade material for the covering is also suspended from the headrail with the pull cords being operatively connected to a control mechanism within the headrail for moving the shade material between extended and retracted positions across an architectural opening such as a window, door, archway or the like.
Conventional operating cords are very flexible so they can pass around pulleys, through brake systems, and the like, to facilitate a smooth, dependable, and reliable operation of the covering. Often multiple operating cords are joined together at associated ends with a connector to which a single, manually operable operating or pull cord is also joined. These flexible cords can become entangled with themselves thereby forming loops.
Wands have been used to control coverings for architectural openings, and typically are not used to replace the pull cords mentioned above but rather are pivotally connected to an operating mechanism at the headrail and used to open or close vanes or slats in the covering by twisting the wand about its longitudinal axis. The wands are not raised or lowered like pull cords and have fairly broad profiles since they must be strong enough to resist the torque applied thereto. An example of such a wand is conventionally found in Venetian blinds where the slats are tilted between open and closed positions by rotating such a wand but the blind itself is raised or lowered by alternatively pulling and raising flexible pull cords which are susceptible to becoming entangled with themselves as mentioned above.
The present disclosure has been developed as a way of alleviating entanglement of pull cords or operating cords with themselves so as to reduce or eliminate the risk of a loop being formed.